The CIA Plan to Remove President Chiang Kai-shek (Part 1): S5-E44
Standard histories tell us that after fleeing to Taiwan,Chiang Kai-shek became America’s staunch Cold War ally – an immovable figure with an iron grip on Fortress Formosa. But behind the scenes, parts of the U.S. government were quietly exploring ways to push him aside. Today we uncover a little-known CIA effort to build a “Third Force” – a democratic alternative to both Mao’s Communists and Chiang’s Nationalists. From whispered WWII assassination plots to secret Cold War schemes involving breakaway Chinese generals and hidden training camps, it’s such a riveting story we’ll need two episodes to tell it properly.
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Cover shows the two main "Third-Force" leader candidates. Left: Soldiers march with a large portrait of Cai Wenzhi (蔡文治). Right: A young General Zhang Fakui 張發奎. The image below of Zhang is via Wikipedia (Japan).
General Cai Wenzhi's calligraphy was offered for sale in 2023 HERE.
The source material for much of this episode: The CIA and Third Force Movements in China during the Early Cold War - The Great American Dream
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